Tails of the Fae
by Ilvermere
Summary: Fairy Tail is a guild full of weirdos who are prone to more misadventures than is healthy. A collection of one-shots of our very own Fairy Tail crew and their ventures into various situations that are the typical brand of ridiculous and emotionally dramatic that only our Fairies can achieve.
1. Who Holds His Heart

**Hello! I'm finally posting stuff!**

 **I saw the movie Moana and I loved it! So here's my little drabble involving Moana and our favorite Fairy Tail Mages. I'll mostly be posting one-shots here in this collection whenever I actually finish them, so I don't have a schedule for this. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this fic!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or _Moana_**

 **Summary: After an emotional and particularly difficult mission, Team Natsu decides to relax and soothe their minds with a Group Movie Night.**

 **Pairing(s): Natsu/Gray**

* * *

 **Who Holds His Heart**

* * *

The huge doors of the guildhall were heaved open, slamming into the walls with a mighty _crash_. A pink haired man strode in with a boisterous laugh whilst he ignored the seething rage stemming from the fearsome redhead behind him.

"Man that was fun! We should really do that again sometime!" A toothy grin split his face.

"Um, Natsu, maybe we shouldn't do what we did again..." the soft words of the youngest team member fell upon deaf ears as the pink haired man rejoiced in blissful memories of countless property destruction. The white cat hovering next to her huffed in annoyance at the sheer absurdity of their latest mission.

"Are you kidding me?" The blonde next to the redhead complained as the pair walked in after the man. "We destroyed the entire coastline! Do you even realize how much damage fees we had to pay? We're lucky we still have enough for my rent or else I would have beaten you senseless!" She glared crossly at the pink haired man, fingers idly tracing the curl of her whip.

"Honestly, Lucy," a smooth voice interjected from the back, "you've been here for years. You should be used to the damn lizard's stupid antics by now." Immediately, the pink haired mage whipped around and aimed a full force glare at the pale skinned man smirking at him.

"What was that you dumbass snowman?!" he growled, flames engulfing his fists as he stalked up to the other male.

"You heard me," said male grinned at the furious expression lighting up his rival's face. Before either male could act, however, the redhead loomed up in front of them.

"Natsu. Gray. You two weren't about to fight just now, were you?" Both boys would swear to the heavens that the redhead had flames coming out of her eyes at this very moment.

"N-no, never, Erza!" Gray looped his arm around his rival's shoulders while Natsu stood frozen, petrified. As if the magic words were spoken, the flames and miasma vanished from Erza's countenance.

"Good," she nodded proudly, "you two have been getting on so well recently. I would hate for that to change."

Gray chuckled nervously. "I'm sure there's a...reason...for that..."

"A-aye!" Natsu squeaked, making Lucy roll her eyes while Happy, perched on her shoulder, snickered.

"We need to inform Master Makarov what happened." Erza spoke over her shoulder as she strode towards the stairs leading up to the Master's office. "Let's go." Her voice brokered no disagreement and the rest of her team followed with varying degrees of reluctance.

Natsu plodded slowly at the back of the group, his earlier joy of returning home fading. How could he tell the Master what had happened? He, himself, didn't remember most of it; but, unfortunately, he remembered enough of it. What remained with him was just everything he wanted to forget. He had almost hurt Happy and Lucy! And Erza and Wendy and Carla all tried to stop him and he had almost hurt them, too! And Gray! God, _Gray_. First he thought he was _dead_. Then _Natsu himself_ almost killed—he almost killed his—

"Natsu." The mage in question looked up to see the man he was thinking about staring at him intently. Natsu quickly searched the dark eyes and felt a tiny curl of relief when he saw no hatred or fear. "Come on, Flame Head," Gray continued quietly enough so only the Dragonslayer would hear, "the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can move past this."

"Yeah," Natsu grunted and followed his friend up the stairs, ignoring the curious looks of his guildmates. The door to the Master's office loomed at the end of the corridor and the rest of his team were waiting beside it. Each wore a look of concern, but had relaxed slightly when Natsu appeared alongside Gray. The fire and ice mages stopped next to the girls and felines.

"Shall we?" Gray glanced at Natsu from the corner of his eye. Nodding, Natsu took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

* * *

"Welcome back, you guys!" A cheerful call sounded from the bar as the team returned down the stairs, receiving various 'welcomes' and 'hellos' from their guildmates.

"Hi, Mira," Lucy greeted with a smile. She plopped herself onto a bar stool with a thankful sigh. Happy settled onto the bar next to the white exceed, Carla, who in turn was sitting daintily near Wendy.

Mirajane smiled back at the celestial mage as she fixed drinks and food. "On the house," she remarked sweetly. Lucy practically inhaled her chocolate milkshake, groaning in bliss as she tasted the delicious flavor. Erza ate her strawberry cake with meticulous movements, savoring each and every bite of the heavenly treat. Gray and Wendy were both ignoring their drinks in favor of watching Natsu chug his flaming shake with gusto.

"How was the mission? You were nearly two weeks late; we were really very worried." Mira inquired as she cleaned a glass.

Lucy grimaced and deliberately did not look at the fire mage. "Yeah we were late—not surprising, actually. There were major mishaps, but we managed to work through them. I'm just glad the coastline was the only thing that got destroyed," she added as an afterthought, "the way everything went down, the destruction could have been much worse." She trailed off and returned he focus back to her milkshake.

Mirajane noticed that none of the team elaborated on what exactly happened. She studied them surreptitiously. On the outside, they seemed normal; happy and joking, even. But as she looked closer she observed that something was off: Erza's movements—always so precise—had a faint tremor; Lucy focused on her milkshake with an alarming intensity, her eyes occasionally blinking rapidly as if attempting to stave off tears; Wendy was quieter than normal and rarely acknowledged when spoken to; Happy and Carla kept sneaking glances at their humans, tails twitching every so often.

But it was with Gray and Natsu that Mira obtained her biggest clue that something had gone horribly wrong. Gray's cool façade was still in place, but the cracks were noticeable when one knew what to look for. His eyes tried to hide, but Mira caught the bleakness and the fear. The fact that they kept flickering back to Natsu was telling enough. Natsu himself never strayed far from his team, especially remaining near to Gray. And Natsu, although tactile by nature, was being unusually so; he would nonchalantly reach out just enough to brush against Gray, like he was reassuring himself that the ice mage was still there.

Blue eyes narrowed minutely. _Something_ had happened. Something bad enough to have shaken the whole team, Natsu and Gray in particular. Before she could begin her questioning, Natsu stood up and turned to his team.

"Movie night at Gray's place!" He declared with a grin—one that Mira noticed didn't reach his eyes.

"Aye!" Happy agreed excitedly. "I'll bring lots of fish!" Carla smacked him on the back of the head.

"What?" Gray glowered at the fire mage. "What the hell, stupid Flame Brain? You can't just invite yourself over to my house!"

Erza, however, was nodding. "It _has_ been a while since we last spent time together while not on a mission. I agree with Natsu." She smiled at the fire mage, who was grinning smugly at the seething ice mage. Lucy and Wendy exchanged looks and sighed.

"Alright, let's go get ready. Meet you at Gray's!" The two girls stood and headed to the doors.

"Wait! You all may have agreed to this, but I sure as hell didn't! And it's my house!" Gray spoke up in exasperation.

But the ice mage was ultimately ignored. Erza had already stood up and was following Wendy and Lucy. "We shall be at your place in half and hour, Gray." To which Gray just sighed in resignation. Once Erza's mind was made up, there was absolutely no changing it. Natsu cheered and he and Happy raced out of the guildhall, leaving the ice mage to bang his head against the bar counter. Mira giggled and patted Gray on the head in consolation.

"Oh come on, Gray! Don't be so grumpy! Maybe this will be exactly what you all need to cheer yourselves up!" Mira smiled knowingly as the ice mage's head shot up to blink at her. After a moment, he chuckled ruefully.

"Maybe," he agreed as he stood and left, waving over his shoulder in farewell to the barmaid. Hands in his pockets, he strolled down the emptying streets towards home. Although he had put up a token protest—and truthfully was a bit irritated that this was randomly sprung on him (And whom was he kidding? He should be used to these kind of things, dating that firecracker and all)—he really didn't mind hosting his friends for the evening. Perhaps Mira was right: this little get together to just relax and enjoy each other's company could be good for them. It would certainly get their minds off of that rather disastrous mission at least for a little while.

Gray freed himself from his thoughts when he reached his house. Summoning his magic, he created a key and unlocked his door and stepped inside. With a sigh, he walked over to the laundry room and set his travel bag down before heading to the main living room. He pulled his two couches around the lacrima television. He dutifully ignored his urge to straighten them out when faced with the haphazard display (Natsu would just make it a mess anyway if he did, the bastard) and wandered to the kitchen. He thanked every deity he knew when he found that he still had a supply of good junk food. While his friends would bring food as thanks (as he, with the most spacious house, usually hosted these get-togethers), he was relieved that he would have back up in case they didn't.

His door opened as someone let themselves in. Gray didn't even bother with yelling at the person—who could at least knock first, thank you—as they would just do this again with or without his permission.

"Hey, Ice Princess," Gray scowled but stayed silent, resigned to the stupid nicknames. Warm arms wrapped around him and a nose buried itself into his neck, inhaling deeply.

"You know, most people knock first." The ice mage informed his guest. The chuckle in his skin made him grin despite himself.

"I'm not most people, Snowflake." The fire mage kissed the pale neck then raised his head up to kiss the ice mage's cheek. Gray snorted and gently freed himself. "That you are not, Cinder Breath."

The ice mage vacated the kitchen and settled down on the loveseat with a book, stretching his legs across the whole couch. Natsu puttered around in the kitchen, making a general mess because a) it annoyed Gray, b) he could, and c) it annoyed Gray. As he was disorganizing his ice mage's house, a knock rapped on the front door. Natsu hurried to open it and let the girls and exceeds inside.

"Hey, Natsu," Lucy greeted, "you're early." The fire mage shrugged, closing and locking the door, and led the way into the living room where Gray was reading. The ice mage tore his concentration away from his book and greeted his guests with a smile. The guests in question placed bowls of popcorn and other junk food (and strawberry cake) down on the coffee table.

"What are we going to watch?" Wendy asked as she took a seat on the largest couch. Erza and Lucy settled down on either side of her while Carla and Happy perched on the armrests. Natsu handed the girls one of Gray's blankets and threw the other in Gray's face, grinning broadly at the ice mage's irritated grumbles. Said mage's eyes widened and he jerked his legs up just as Natsu flung himself down on the loveseat.

"Really, Flame Brain?" Gray glared at the fire mage to which Natsu only laughed. In revenge, Gray plopped his legs in Natsu's lap. He draped the blanket over both of them and set his book on the coffee table.

"We could watch that new movie!" Lucy answered Wendy as the girls ignored the boys' antics. "The Polynesian one!"

"Oh! _Moana_?" Wendy smiled happily. She had wanted to see _Moana_ for weeks, but never got around to it.

"It does look good." Erza considered. "What do you two think?" She turned to the boys, only to glare at them. The two males were engaged in a rather pathetic slapping fight, but froze and quailed under Erza's glare.

"S-sounds good to me, Erza." Gray forced out. "Whatever you guys want to watch is fine with me, so long as it isn't a huge chick flick again." He continued more calmly. Natsu, on the other hand, just squeaked out "A-aye!"

"Great!" Lucy cheered and hopped up to fiddle with the lacrima until it began to play the film.

* * *

"That was amazing!" Lucy gushed as the credits rolled.

"It was very sweet." Erza agreed with a smile. She couldn't deny the catchiness of the songs or the moving emotional moments of the film.

"I really liked the Grandmother," Wendy put in with a soft smile. "She reminded me of Grandine." Lucy hugged the little Dragonslayer and Erza patted her shoulder.

Natsu laughed suddenly. "You know, Ice Princess? That Moana girl kind of reminds me of you!" He grinned at his ice mage who in turn looked utterly baffled.

"How the hell does a girl from a tropical island remind you of me?" He stared at the Dragonslayer. "I could understand Elsa from _Frozen_ because hey—ice powers."

"And keeping everything bottled up until you explode." Lucy interjected. Gray glared at her. Lucy shrugged. "What? It's kind of true."

Gray shook his head. "But," he continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "I don't understand any likeness of me to Moana."

"Well, you were really close to a person," Natsu explained as he tapped the legs still resting in his lap, "and then they died." He squeezed Gray's knee in comfort when the ice mage's expression fell. "But you didn't let that stop you. You followed their advice and made them proud." A faint blush crept up Gray's face at Natsu's words. "And you saved your family by doing what you felt you had to do." Natsu finished.

Gray blinked slowly. "I'm impressed you gave it so much thought, Fireface." He chuckled at Natsu's offended scowl. "But," now that blush darkened slightly, "I think you're making me out to be something better than I am."

"Oh I don't think so." Erza disagreed with a thoughtful frown. "I think Natsu is correct in his conclusions. You need to stop being so hard on yourself, Gray." Gray shifted uncomfortably at this and spoke up again.

"Why do I have to be Moana?" he complained to hide his embarrassment. He nudged the Dragonslayer. "Why can't you be Moana?" Natsu could smell his mate's embarrassment despite his attempts to hide it, and squeezed Gray's knee to show he knew.

"Because I'm the Awesome Lava Monster! Duh!" Natsu said instead, as if it were obvious, and the others sighed. A sudden thought struck him. "Oh! And Wendy's the Ocean, cause she's so helpful and is good at pointing us in the right direction!" He grinned at the younger Dragonslayer, who blushed brightly.

"Well, I don't know about that," she refuted bashfully. Lucy and Erza, however, protested her words.

"Natsu's right, Wendy," Lucy spoke kindly. "You should give yourself more credit. I, for one, think you are an incredibly helpful person. You always seem to know what to say." The celestial mage smiled at the youngest Dragonslayer and Wendy returned it. Carla reached over and patted her human on the head with an encouraging smile.

"Indeed, Wendy," Erza nodded, "your helpfulness knows no bounds. You see the best in people," the requip mage added with a soft smile, "and try to get them to see what you see. Just like that Ocean."

Wendy didn't think her cheeks could possibly get any redder. When she spoke her voice was a squeak so she cleared her throat and tried again. "Well, who do you think the other characters liken to?"

"Oh, I know! Erza can be that Maui guy! Cause she kicks peoples' asses!" Natsu laughed. Lucy coughed to cover up her smirk as Erza studied Natsu, trying to determine if that was an insult or a compliment.

"I think what Natsu's trying to say is that Erza can be a bit...ah...intimidating on the outside," Wendy piped up softly, "but once you get to know her, she is incredibly loyal and brave. She's accomplished so much that most people see her as something like a god, I think." Erza smiled at Wendy again, satisfied with the comparisons.

"Well, I think Makarov would make a good Chief." She declared. "He is always looking out for us and wants to keep us safe. Even if he does not believe the paths some of us may follow will lead us to where we want to go, he trusts us to be able to find our way back." Though there were some aspects of the Chief in _Moana_ that didn't line up with Makarov's personality—like the obsession that everyone remain on the island or the fear of what he doesn't understand (i.e., the ocean)—they all agreed that the Chief's actions were to keep his people and his family safe, much like Makarov is always doing.

Gray broke the thoughtful silence of Erza's declaration with a snort. "Gajeel should be that crab guy; 'cause he's obsessed with metals and they're both assholes." Natsu choked on his drink while the others snickered.

"L-let's not be too hard on Gajeel," Wendy struggled to hide her grin, however, as Lucy added, "He means well, even if his approach could use quite a bit of work."

"Aye!" Happy agreed. "Gajeel's always so grumpy. He's not very good with people. That's why he should eat more fish!" Carla immediately snapped that fish were not the solution to every problem as Natsu and Gray continued to laugh at Gajeel's expense. Erza, meanwhile, was studying the boys curiously.

"If Gray is Moana," she began after a moment, "then the Grandmother would be closest to...Ur? And the ancestors are Gray's family and friends?" Her voiced trailed off at the end, unsure if the subject of Ur and Gray's people before Deliora would be allowed here. Gray's mirth slowly subsided as he pondered Erza's words.

Could the Grandmother be Ur? It was certainly possibly. Just like Grandma Tala did for Moana, Ur guided him to his, well, destiny. Was still guiding him even after she turned to ice so long ago. She showed him the way when he faced his demons again on Galuna Island—showed that they would never bring him down, that she wouldn't let them. And Gray had loved Ur—loved her more than he was willing to admit during his time with her. After she died, Gray vowed to never forget her words, to make her proud.

He hoped he had made her proud. If Ur was proud of the man he had become, then maybe, just maybe, he could begin to forgive himself for killing her.

Gray's heart still ached at what he had done to his beloved master, and he didn't want to think about that on top of the horrendous mission they had barely returned from. So his thoughts moved onto Erza's other comparison.

The ancestors...his old friends and family? Maybe. He certainly continued to think about them—who he could remember at least. Perhaps his parents, his dad especially. Gray had always wanted to be like his dad. The more Gray thought about it, the more he could see his friends and family pointing him in the right direction, his parents in particular. Perhaps Erza's words had some merit to them, after all. He hoped he made them proud, too.

"Hm," he murmured finally, "maybe you're right." Erza gave a tentative smile at the ice mage's quiet words, relieved to know that she hadn't overstepped any bounds. Natsu gently squeezed his mate's knee again to bring Gray back from his thoughts.

"What about Lucy?" Happy piped up suddenly. Lucy, herself, blinked, realizing that she was never given a character. "And me and Carla?"

"Happy can be the pig, cause he's our best friend!" Natsu put in excitedly. "Carla can be the Lady Chief, cause she's so bossy." Happy opened his mouth to protest at being a _pig_ (he would most certainly be a _fish_ , thank you), but preened at the rest of Natsu's words.

Carla, on the other hand, glared at the fire mage. "Bossy?! Excuse me?! I'll have you know that I'm responsible not bossy! You think I'm bossy because you are so irresponsible yourself!" She hissed. Wendy immediately tried to soothe her ruffled fur.

"And Lucy can be the chicken!" Natsu concluded. Lucy gaped at the fire mage in outrage.

" _What_! You compare me to the stupid chicken?" She shrieked. " _Are you implying something, Natsu Dragneel_?" Her brown eyes flashed with irritation and a bit of hurt. " _I am not a dumb chicken_!"

Gray spotted the thinly veiled hurt in Lucy's eyes and smacked the fire Dragonslayer hard with the book retrieved from the coffee table. As Natsu was cradling his aching nose, cursing his mate under his breath, Gray turned to Lucy. "What this idiot dragon was _trying_ to say," he threw a glare at the dragon in question, "is that you are someone to not be underestimated. People see you and don't think you'll be much of a threat, and you prove them dead wrong." He smiled kindly at her. "You're more than meets the eye, Lucy. You are resilient and resourceful and use all of your charms to fool people into overlooking you before you kick their ass. While that may not be much like the chicken itself, that's how Natsu interpreted it for you, so don't be too insulted by this nuisance."

Lucy's cheeks pinked prettily at Gray's words and she smiled warmly at him. Gray cleared his throat as his own cheeks pinked before he stood and stretched.

"Well," he sighed, "I think I am going to crash. You guys are more than welcome to bunk here if you don't feel like going home." He began to clean up the mess of the food, Natsu helping after a blast of snow to the face, and disappeared into the kitchen. The girls continued to discuss the previous conversation.

"That was really sweet of Gray," Wendy smiled. "You're definitely not stupid like that chicken, Lucy, but you certainly don't give up on anything." Lucy chuckled at that and glanced towards the kitchen.

"This was nice. We should do this more often. I really feel a lot better now than I did earlier."

Erza hummed in agreement. "Yes. I believe this was just what we needed after this mission." She frowned as she thought about the almost-disaster.

* * *

 _"You think you can win?" The mad mage cackled loudly, clutching at his sides. "You really think you can win when I have a_ dragon _on my side?"_

 _Erza grit her teeth. She struggled to her feet, noticing Wendy and Lucy do the same, Happy and Carla hovering in the air beside them. All looked worse for wear; cuts, scrapes, bruises, bleeding lacerations. Wendy's arm hung loosely from a dislocated shoulder and Lucy was heavily favoring her right leg. Erza herself grasped her side to stem the blood flow of a deep slice._

 _That last attack had been brutal. The requip mage felt sluggish by the amount of magic she had used in order to defend herself. One look at the others suggested they faired no better._

 _"We'll win," Lucy vowed, eyes cold. "We'll win and you will pay for what you've put our friends through." Erza couldn't remember the last time she had seen Lucy so cold. But Erza supposed she shouldn't be surprised. She felt only rage towards this madman for hurting her family. For taking Gray and hurting him and using him against Natsu. For overcoming Natsu's mind by underhanded tactics and painful force, for making him watch as Gray was being tortured._

 _For making Natsu believe that Gray was dead._

 _No. This man would receive no mercy for hurting Natsu and Gray. Her boys._

 _A roar of rage shook the battlefield and cause another laughing fit for the mad mage. Burning heat and icy chill clashed, covering the land in fluctuating extremes. Fire and ice stepped to a deadly dance, bursts of magic revealing that carnage for the world to see. It drew the eyes of the Fairy Tail mages. A sickening awe forced them to watch their boys fight with such violence. The amber of Natsu's eyes full of malicious madness. The midnight of Gray's determined and worried._

 _"Stop, Natsu!" The ice mage pleaded. "Come on, Flame Brain!" Gray shot a barrage of lances at the rampaging Dragonslayer. "Snap out of it! What is wrong with you—whoa!" He dodged a dragon's roar by the skin of his teeth. "Ice Make: Floor!" Natsu slipped on the ice and Gray used the misstep to his advantage, skating in close to the Dragonslayer. "Natsu please look at me!" He begged. "It's me—Gray!"_

 _"Dead," Natsu roared, wretched grief cracking his voice. "Gray is dead, Gray is_ gone _!" Fire flickered in his empty, raging eyes. "This world will_ burn _for taking my mate from me!" Flames licked his skin, increasing his body temperature to scalding levels. Gray could feel his own cool skin sizzling just from a close proximity. Any ice conjured up melted instantaneously and drew the attention of the out of control fire mage. Natsu's arm whipped out and his burning fingers wrapped around Gray's pale neck in a searing grip._

 _"No, Natsu! I'm not dead!" Gray choked as the fingers tightened. "Use your damn senses, idiot Dragonslayer!" Ignoring how he literally felt like he was melting, Gray reached up a shaky hand and placed it on Natsu's hot cheek. "It's Gray, Natsu. I'm not dead, I swear I'm not."_

 _Natsu could hear the mumbling of someone speaking, but he tried his best to ignore it. He was only dimly aware of what was happening outside of his mindscape where he had retreated. He curled up in the little corner of his mind devoted to Gray; his rival, his best friend, his mate. He bathed himself in the memory of Gray's winter pine scent and tried to forget his lifeless body in the puddle of his own blood._

 _Gray was_ dead _. His mate was_ **dead** _. And Natsu was alone. He couldn't handle it. Couldn't handle a world without Gray. So he decided that there shouldn't be one._

 _That voice spoke up again. Will it_ shut up _? Can't it tell that he's trying to make everything disappear? Why was it telling him to use his senses? Why was it insisting that Gray was alive—_

 _Wait. Natsu sniffed the air. It was faint, but he could smell it. Winter pine and fresh snow._ Gray _._

 _Gray was here! Where was Gray? That voice spoke again, insisting that it was Gray, that Gray was still alive because he was right in front of him._

 _But that meant..._

 _That meant that Gray was out there with that rampaging inferno of grief and utter rage. That meant that Gray could be_ hurt _, which was unacceptable._

 _"Gr...ay...?" Gray gasped, part in agony as his burning fingers scrabbled at the hand around his neck, and part in disbelief that Natsu had spoken. "Gra...y?"_

 _"I'm here, Natsu." Gray wheezed and Natsu blinked at him. "I'm still alive, Ash-for-Brains." The rage slowly dispersed from Natsu's eyes as he drunk in the sight and inhaled the scent of his mate. The flames across his body flickered out of existence and the hellish heat became to waver, much to Gray's relief._

 _"Gray," Natsu whispered. He finally noticed how he was holding the ice mage and quickly let go, wrapping his arms tightly around Gray's waist instead to keep him from dropping. Gray gasped for breath and coughed heavily._

 _"Yeah, Natsu," he panted, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, Cinder Breath." Natsu let out a keening noise and buried his face in Gray's hair, breathing in the usual wintry smell mixed in with singed smoke. Gray hugged Natsu back just as tightly as the Dragonslayer held him as they sank to their knees. "It's all right, Natsu. I'm safe. You're safe. Everything's going to be okay."_

 _"What! How!" The mad mage screamed as he watched his greatest asset return to his senses by that worthless ice mage he treasured. "How_ dare _you, you scum! How_ dare _you steal_ MY _dragon!" He made to attack Gray, but was stopped by a whip wrapping around his wrist. He turned to face three livid females and two hissing exceeds._

 _"He was never yours." Erza stated coldly, eyes full of loathing. "You will not hurt them again."_

* * *

Erza wrenched herself out of that horrible memory when Lucy spoke again. "I thought it was cute when Natsu insisted that he was Te Fiti and Gray was Moana."

"Aye! And Natsu was an awesome lava monster!" Happy chimed in. Erza found herself chuckling as a sudden thought struck her. The others looked at her in confusion.

"What's so funny, Erza?" Wendy asked.

Erza could only smile. "Natsu and Gray fit their roles perfectly, wouldn't you say?" At the blank looks, she went on. "Well, Gray was the one to return Natsu to his senses and stop his destruction." Her smiled widened and her eyes twinkled. "And Gray is the one who holds Natsu's heart."

* * *

 **Well, that's the end of this sappy little tale.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Drop me a review if you've got the time and let me know if I made any mistakes or what you thought about it.**

 **See all of you in the next one-shot :)**


	2. I Know You Will

**Hi everyone!**

 **Sorry it took so long to update this, but I was working on a project called _Iced Hell_ that is currently being posted. **

**This one is sad. I hope y'all like sad things. Angst is abound here!**

 **Lots of inspiration from Lana Del Rey's "Young and Beautiful".**

 **To Potions Failure: Thanks so much! I'm happy you enjoyed the first story! Here, have another!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing**

 **Summary: "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been'." - John Greenleaf Whittier**

 **Pairing(s): Loke/Gray**

 **Now, fasten your seat belts and enjoy~**

* * *

 **I Know You Will**

* * *

 _"Loke..I'm sorry...I l-love you..."_

 _"No, Gray! Stay with me! No! **GRAY**!"_

The orange-haired spirit cradled the frail body tightly to his chest. How could it feel this frail? For as long as the Lion had known him, the ice mage had been strong and steady. Stalwart as the mightiest glaciers with a spine of steel and a will of iron.

But now he was limp in his arms and the Lion wanted to scream. Wanted to roar his grief to the highest heavens until even the Celestial King in his starlit castle felt it.

He wanted everyone—whether they were human, spirit, or something else entirely—to know that on this day, the Great Lion had lost his heart and soul.

Leo curled closer to Gray's still form—cold, so cold; colder than Gray had ever been. Gray who, despite his chilly temperature, always possessed an encompassing warmth for those he loved. How was he supposed to continue without that familiar, comforting presence?

He may be centuries old, but Leo had never felt a loss as poignant as this. Gray had been his friend, his companion, his partner, his confidant, his lover, his heart. Though he doubted Gray ever realized it, Leo knew that he would love Gray until the stars ran cold.

Oh, how he wished the stars would just freeze solid. At least then, he would have a permanent memorial to honor his beloved.

Gray's death ached more than any passing of his masters and mistresses. Leo doubted that he would ever be happy again, he wasn't sure if he wanted to at any rate. Gray had been his joy.

And now he was dead.

* * *

 _"Gray, I've decided," Loke declared, marching up to his ice mage with a determined air. Gray raised a brow and grinned indulgently._

 _"Oh kay," He chuckled, "what have you decided, kitty-cat?"_

 _Loke took a moment to glower at the term of endearment before giving himself a shake. He reached forward and grasped Gray's chilly hand. "I've made up my mind. You are my lover."_

 _Gray peered at him in bemusement when the spirit paused. "Y-es," he drawled, "We established that weeks ago."_

 _"Yes," Loke inhaled deeply and braced himself. "Yes we did, but there is something else." Gray motioned him to go on. "I...I love you Gray. I love you more than I've loved anyone in a very, very long time. You make everything wonderful by just existing. I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours. Because I love you and only you, Gray."_

 _Gray was staring, speechless at his boyfriend's confession. Loke was meeting his gaze, but there was a hint of trepidation in those dark eyes, as if he both feared and anticipated Gray's answer._

 _"Just...me?" Gray clarified._

 _"Yes," Loke murmured, a faint pink dusting his cheeks. "I want you forever, Gray. What do you say?"_

 _Gray couldn't stop the laugh bubbling in his throat. "Well, after a confession like that, I'd have to be a complete jackass to refuse, wouldn't I?"_

 _"No, Gray," Loke immediately protested, "this is your choice. You don't owe me anything—"_

 _The ice mage shut him up with a kiss, laughing softly. "Relax, Simba. I know you'd never force anything. My answer is yes."_

0o0o0

 _Gray blinked and watched Natsu fly away into a wall. What the hell?_

 _"Back of, Lizard-breath," Loke growled. Gray gaped at him, taking note of his glowing fist and angry eyes. "He's mine." A faint blush sneaked across Gray's cheeks at that statement. Loke, tossing one last growl at the dazed Dragonslayer, turned and wrapped his arms possessively around Gray's cold frame._

 _"Hello," he murmured happily and Gray laughed, causing a pleasant warmth to fill the celestial spirit's chest._

 _"Hi," the ice mage returned amid snickers, "nice punch. I bet Flame Brain will be feeling that for a while."_

 _"Hmph," Loke snorted, "he was eying you, but you're_ mine _."_

 _"Oh my gods, Loke," Gray shifted around to smack his lover gently on the back of the head. Loke rubbed the spot with a wounded noise. "He was not "eying me". He was trying to con me to go on a shopping trip with the girls in his place. The idiot just didn't realize I saw through his pathetic display immediately."_

 _"He_ was _," Loke whined. "I_ know _'cause I look at you the same way."_

 _"Is that so?" Gray smirked. "And how was Natsu looking at me?"_

 _"Like you're the most beautiful creature to ever breathe. Like life would be abysmal if you weren't in it." Loke answered immediately, completely serious._

 _Gray's eyes widened and he flushed scarlet. "I-I doubt Natsu even knows what half those words even mean." He stammered. Loke shrugged, content in his rightness, and Gray groaned, placing his head in his hands._

 _"Can we, can we not discuss the fact that Natsu may or may not have the hots for me?"_

 _"He'd better not," Loke growled possessively. Gray shook his head and ran his fingers through that fluffy orange hair, much to Loke's pleasure._

 _The celestial spirit basked in Gray's presence, soaking up his affection for a little longer before he pulled away. Grabbing Gray's hand and leading him out of the guild. "C'mon!" He laughed brightly. "I promised you ice cream, didn't I?"_

 _Gray smiled quietly. "Oh, remembered did you?" he teased gently. "You're going to make me fat with all these treats."_

 _"You could never be fat, snowbird," Loke assured with a grin over his shoulder, "you'll be young and beautiful forever!"_

 _As the words registered, Gray's smile faded. Young and beautiful forever? Hardly. One day, Gray would be an old, withered man—certainly not an appealing lover in any sense. But would he even be a lover after that long? Would Loke become bored of him before then? After all, Gray would not stay young and beautiful for long. Unlike Loke, who remained youthful and ageless, Gray would deteriorate as the years pass, his body aging and failing._

 _Why would Loke stick around at that point when he could literally have anyone he wanted?_

 _"Gray?" Gray glanced up at his boyfriend to see Loke gazing at him in concern. "What's wrong?"_

 _"I.." Gray began, "I was just..." he trailed off before blurting out, "is that why you're here? Because I'm young and beautiful to you?" As soon as he said it, his eyes dropped to the ground in shame. Of course Loke didn't stay because of that, what was he thinking? But the thought wouldn't go away and Gray just needed to be sure..._

 _"No," Loke answered and Gray's head shot up._

 _"Then why...?"_

 _"Gray," Loke took his hands and stared intently at him, "I stay because I love you. I love every piece of you because you mean the world to me. I love you now, and I'll still love you when you're old and wrinkled." Gray studied his lover's eyes and his chest fluttered at the look of pure love and devotion in those cat-like eyes._

 _Gray smiled, reassured. "I know you will."_

0o0o0

 _Gray stared at the mirror in disbelief. He couldn't believe it._

 _He could not_ fucking _believe it._

 _A grey hair. He had a_ grey _hair!_

 _He will_ never _live this down!_

 _He anxiously ran his fingers through his shaggy mop and despaired to see more of the silver strands peeking among the inky black._

 _"Gray?" A familiar voice reverberated into the bathroom from the living room. "What are you doing?"_

 _Shit! "Uh, nothing!" Gray called back, frantically coming his dark tresses back over the dreaded silver hairs._

 _Warm arms snaked around his waist and his back vibrated from the force of his husband's purring._

 _"Hey," Loke murmured into his black—it was_ not grey _!—hair. "I missed you."_

 _Despite the horrible crisis Gray was having, a smile tugged at his lips. "You saw me this morning."_

 _"Mm," Loke agreed, "and that was too long ago!" He rested his head contentedly on Gray's. As he shifted, though, something caught his eye in the bathroom light. A glint of silver._

 _"Is...is that...?" Loke lifted his head and peered curiously at Gray's hair. "Is that a grey hair?"_

 _"No!" Gray yelped, pushing Loke back and flattening his hair with his hands. "That wasn't. You're just seeing things."_

 _But it was too late. Loke's grin widened and mischief sparkled in his eyes. "Oh am I? Wouldn't that be_ your _problem, Gray-chan? After all, you're turning grey, Gray!" He cackled in delight at Gray's furious glower._

 _"Oh shut up," Gray snapped crossly, "we can't all retain our luscious locks forever." A flicker of insecurity flashed through him at the thought of his hair turning grey. He was starting to get old, wasn't he?_

 _"You know, I think I'm looking forward to seeing you turn silver." Loke mused. "I think you could pull it off."_

 _He gentled at the flash of insecurity in Gray's midnight gaze. "I still think you're utterly breathtaking, Gray. And," he reached down, picking up Gray's left hand and raising it eye level, thumb stroking the platinum and gold wedding ring, "I'll still love you even when your hair turns grey."_

 _Gray smiled helplessly as Loke kissed the his ring lovingly. "I know you will."_

0o0o0

 _Loke watched as Gray reared back his fist and punched the rogue mage right in the face, sending the man flying backwards. The ice mage then dodged into a back handspring to escape the hail of magic bullets._

 _Gathering his ice, Gray formed a rampart loaded with cannons. "Ice Make: rampart!"_

 _Loke knocked out another of his opponents and laughed loudly when one of Gray's paled considerably at the icy attack force._

 _With a smirk, Gray fired his cannons. "Cannon barrage!"_

 _Satisfied that his husband was fine, and enjoying himself, Loke returned his focus to his own foes. Lucy was managing just fine on her own—something that Loke was immensely proud of—and none of the others in Team Natsu needed help. Loke noted with a smug pride that Team Natsu was an unstoppable force, even after all these years._

 _Of course, they were only called now if there was a threat that the normal groups couldn't handle. All of them responded enthusiastically whenever the calls came; turns out, retirement was not for them. Go figure._

 _With the prowess of an entire squad of S-Class mages, the rogues were defeated embarrassingly quickly, much to the chagrin of the younger group of Fairy Tail mages whom had originally been sent on the mission._

 _When the dust cleared, Loke fixed his cuffs, smoothed his suit, and adjusted his shades, all with the aura of a self-satisfied feline. To his joy, Gray bounded up to him, a bright, breathless smile on his face. Excitement danced in his eyes and his black-and-silver hair seemed to be more frazzled than usual._

 _It amused Loke to no end that a fight could transform his suave, collected husband into an exuberant child._

 _"Oh yeah," Gray laughed, "we kicked their_ asses _!" As he caught his breath, he bent over, hands on his knees. "Although," he panted, "some of them got in a couple nasty bruises that I'll be feeling tomorrow. I should've avoided them, but," Gray smiled ruefully, "I'm not as young as I once was. These older bones take their time in responding."_

 _Loke frowned slightly. He didn't like it when Gray spoke like that. He wasn't old; he was as spry and capable as he'd ever been. Gray was still full of life, even now, and that was something Loke would cherish._

 _"Well I hope you're preparing yourself. 'Cause when you can't move anymore, I'm going to pamper the hell out of you." Loke declared fiercely. "Because I'll still love you, even then, my crazy snow angel." His eyes gleamed with a smile at his last sentence and he pulled his husband into a tight embrace._

 _Gray laughed happily. "I know you will, kitty-cat."_

0o0o0

 _"Gray?" Loke whispered hesitantly. Gray remained silent, continuing to stare out the window. "Gray, talk to me. What happened? What did Wendy say?"_

 _For the longest moments, Gray was so still and so silent; Loke feared, irrationally, that his husband had turned into a marble statue: soulless and dispassionate._

 _Several minutes passed and Loke didn't dare speak. After what must have been eternity, Gray finally answered._

 _"There is no cure." Came the quiet, dull response. "Wendy managed to seal it in time to stop it from killing me, but," Gray lowered his head and clenched his hands into shaky, feeble fists, "I can't use my hands like I used to. Basic functions are left, but that's about it." Gray took a deep breath and raised his head and Loke's heart clenched at the rare tears glistening his lashes. "I can't—I can't mold my ice. I can't perform my magic anymore." The words were wrenched out in a rasped whisper._

 _Something in Loke withered at the lifeless expression in Gray's dark eyes. He couldn't believe it—Gray couldn't use his magic anymore? He couldn't imagine and mold his enchanting and deadly creations anymore?_

 _Gray lived for his magic. Nurtured each creation with a loving precision. Gray without Ice Creation magic was like Loke without his Regulus power. Both were so fundamentally part of them that without either, they would be nothing but shells of their former selves._

 _And now Gray no longer had his magic. Could no longer create the wonders of his imagination with a simple hand gesture and the cold chill of ice._

 _Loke stepped closer as Gray hunched into himself. He slowly approached and wound his arms gently around his husband's shaking form. Gray flinched at the first contact, but then melted into Loke's embrace, damaged hands clutching weakly at the lapels of his suit coat._

 _Loke tactfully refrained from remarking about the wetness soaking into his suit as Gray buried his face in his shoulder. Instead, he ran his hands soothingly up and down Gray's spine, pressing his nose into that shining silver hair._

 _"Loke," Gray choked out quietly, "what am I gonna do now? I can't use my magic anymore. How am I going to work?" Loke knew that finding jobs was hardly the biggest concern for Gray at the moment._

 _"Don't worry about that," Loke murmured, "I've got plenty of jewel saved up from my old jobs."_

 _Gray tried to jerk back with a protest, but Loke held him fast. "No, don't fight me about this, Gray." Loke rebuked sternly, silently hating the frailty he could already feel dragging Gray's bones. "You won't be taking advantage. I_ want _to do this for you, so please let me."_

 _"Why?" Gray's question was nearly inaudible. "What use is a mage who can't even use their own magic? They're only half a person, at best." The bitterness in Gray's tone sent a flare of anger down Loke's spine._

 _"_ Don't you dare say that _," Loke hissed, pulling back to glare furiously into Gray's dull eyes, "don't you_ ever _say something like that again, Gray!" Gray blinked in surprise at Loke's outburst. Loke wanted to beat some sense into his husband. "You are not half a person! Not being able to use your magic doesn't make you a lesser being." Loke reached forward and gently took hold of Gray's damaged appendages, thumbs stroking the back of the ice mage's hands. "I'm sorry Gray, I truly am." Loke whispered sadly. "I know how much your magic meant to you. I can't imagine not being able to use my own ever again."_

 _"However," Loke lightly squeezed Gray's fingers, "this, this is not a sign of you being broken. This is a sign of you_ surviving _." At Gray's small frown of confusion, Loke continued. "That disease should have k-killed you Gray." Loke's heart skipped a beat at the mere thought of losing Gray. "But you survived, these hands are proof of that. And while it is truly a terrible side effect, I, for one, am very grateful you survived." He kissed Gray's fingers chastely. "I know the loss of your magic will be difficult, Gray, but I'll be here always. Because I'll still love you even if you can't use any magic."_

 _Gray's smile was tiny and achingly sad, but quietly happy as well. "I know you will."_

0o0o0

 _The orange-haired celestial spirit perched gingerly on the edge of the bed. Swallowing hard, he moved his hand to the unmoving figure on the bed and closed it around a wrinkled hand. He smiled as the arthritic fingers wrapped weakly around his hand. His dark eyes met warm, albeit hazy, ones._

 _Loke grinned flirtatiously. "Well, hello there, beautiful." He purred and was utterly joyful at the raspy chuckle he got._

 _"In-incor-corrigable..." Gray wheezed, but a smile tugged at his mouth._

 _Loke flicked his mane of orange loftily. "For you, snow angel? Always." He squeezed the hand held in both of his gently and hugged it to his chest. When he spoke next, his voice softened. "How are you doing, Gray?"_

 _"Same old, same old," Gray responded breathily. Loke nodded silently before he brightened a bit at a sudden thought._

 _"How's Natsu? He still giving the nurses grief?"_

 _Gray barked out a choking laugh. "Is he ever! I admit," a sheepish expression took over Gray's wrinkled face, "he still drags me...into his trouble sometimes. We...raced down the...hall with our walk-walkers...last time..." Gray breathed a laugh again, "drove the nurses...up the wall...just like...like old times..." Gray trailed off forlornly._

 _Loke's heart clenched. He wanted to jump and bring back Gray's smile and get rid of that sad resignation. He hugged Gray's hand tighter. "So," he forced out in fake cheer, "you two under house arrest, I take it?" He was trying not to think about how much worse Gray looked, but he knew Gray, old and feeble that he was, wasn't fooled._

 _For all that his body was failing him, his mind remained as sharp as ever. Loke was unsure if that was a blessing or a curse._

 _Gray humored him. "Probably. Not sure...if-if it's really...house arrest...if I can't...can't leave...my room." He added pointedly and Loke flinched. The celestial spirit refused to look at his ailing husband until a gnarled hand rested on his arm._

 _"Don't...don't look like...like that, S-Simba," Gray wheezed softly. "We both...knew this...would hap-happen...even...tually."_

 _"Well it shouldn't!" Loke burst out angrily. "You're my husband, my one and only! You're bound by love and by marriage to a celestial spirit! Why can't you come and stay with me?"_

 _Gray was staring knowingly at him and Loke chest prickled. They both knew the question that needed to be asked, and avoiding it by wishing for impossible things was only prolonging the pain._

 _The celestial spirit swallowed before opening his mouth. "How long?" he rasped, blinking rapidly at the tears lining his lashes._

 _"Not...not long," Gray whispered. "Not...not gon...na make it...to night...I think."_

 _Loke held back a wail of despair and shifted closer to his dying husband. "Oh," he choked, "oh."_

 _Gray squeezed his hand feebly. "Don't...don't cry..." His eyes were so warm, Loke noticed, even as his skin cooled, "I've...lived a good...life. With Nat...su...Erza...Lucy...every...one...and_ you _," he added with a loving smile._

 _A watery smile passed Loke's face. "Yeah and I loved every moment of it."_

 _Hacking coughs wracked Gray's fragile frame and Loke was alarmed to see the flecks of red on the pristine white sheets._

 _"Hah..." Gray gasped, "Natsu's...gonna have...to pick...up the...slack...at harr-harrass...ing the...nurses..."_

 _"Those poor nurses won't know what hit them," Loke agreed._

 _Gray turned exhaustedly toward Loke. "Kitty...think...you could...stay with...someone...as...old as...me...until..."_

 _Loke understood. He leaned forward and kissed Gray's pale forehead, brushing the strands of straggly silver hair out of his face._

 _"I will stay with you always." Loke vowed tenderly, embracing his husband. "Because I will love you for eternity, my Gray."_

 _Gray, old and wrinkled and dying that he was, smiled. "I know...you will."_

* * *

Leo tilted his head back and wailed his despair to the skies. He couldn't hold it back, not anymore.

He ignored everything around him that wasn't his dead lover. He disregarded Lucy's frequent calls to him with only the faintest trickle of guilt. Lucy would be fine; she had the others of Team Natsu to watch over her, and she had the power to open her gates since he had used his own magic to summon himself here.

Lucy would be okay; Gray would not be, because Gray was dead.

Gray was dead and Loke despaired. Despaired and cursed his celestial mind. For it had conjured up images of what his life with Gray might have been.

A life with love and happiness and devotion. Where he showed the world his claim, where he proposed to the love of his celestial life. Where he teased his beloved about grey hairs, where he marveled at the way his love retained his sheer liveliness for so long. Where he comforted and loved his husband after a crushing blow, where he sat with him and held him as his dearly beloved breathed his last.

A beautiful life that Leo ached to have with Gray. A life lived to the absolute fullest with Gray.

But that was no longer an option. That life was forever stolen from Leo, from _Gray_.

Leo hugged the broken, bleeding body of his would-be husband and sobbed into the shaggy inky hair. His nose picked up the faint scent of pine and snow underneath the coppery tang of blood. He committed that wintry scent to memory and let his aching heart break.

He cursed the fates for giving them this worthless job. He cursed the clients for their deception, cursed the fact that they had let Gray and his team walk into a trap. He cursed the mages of this rogue guild for taking the life of his beloved Gray.

Most of all, Leo cursed himself. For not arriving in time to save Gray, for letting him down when he had needed him the most.

So Leo wept.

Wept for Gray's horrid death at the hands of such despicable foes.

Wept for the life he would never share with Gray.

There, in a bloodstained, rundown guildhall, the celestial spirit of the Great Lion held the corpse of his heart and soul in his arms.

There, he shattered.

* * *

 **I did it! I killed Gray D:**

 **I'm sorry (not sorry) but it had to be done.**

 **If anyone's confused: the italicized sections are the life that Gray and Loke could have had, had Gray not died in that last mission. In other words, the italics were of a future that Loke's mind conjured up in response to Gray's death to show him what might have been had Gray lived.**

 **Clear as mud? Good.**

 **Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next installment :)**


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